Strive for promotion continues as Willow Park maintain league momentum

RONAN FAGAN Athlone Advertiser, Thu, Mar 21, 2019

As the local football scene hurtles towards its end of season conclusion, Leinster Senior League representatives, Willow Park FC, remain in strong contention to achieve success promotions as they currently place second in the Senior Division 1B Sunday league table.

With a home fixture against mid-table Greenhills/Greenpark FC this weekend, the DPD Park based team, under the guidance of joint managers, Declan Holohan and David McGuinness, have made positive strides this campaign and boast the most offensively minded squad in the division, netting 60 goals from their 20 games played to date.

Speaking this week to the Athlone Advertiser, David McGuinness, noted that the strive for promotion continues with a “must win” feel attached to the team’s six remaining league games.

“We are just off the back of three good comprehensive wins, two of which were at home to Broadford and Leicester Celtic and one away game at St. James Gate. We have Greenhills/Greenpark FC at home on Saturday night and that IS another must-win game for us.

“The plan is to keep driving on for promotion. There is only a handful of points between the teams at the top and those chasing promotion and a bad result could drop you right back into a congested division. Every game I see as a must win and it is a test of mental strength more than anything else.

“We normally come strong this time of year. I think last season we put together a run of seven successive wins in order to secure promotion. However, that was junior football, and with no disrespect, we are playing against much stronger opposition this year. The squad as a unit have responded well, they are a committed group of players. We also have a young squad and I think at one stage, during the St. James Gate game we had nine players under the age of 23 on the pitch which augurs well for the future of the club,” the joint manager commented.